Radioactive Waste in West Texas

Since 2005, the Observer’s Forrest Wilder has extensively covered the emergence of a massive radioactive waste dump near Andrews, Texas. Wilder has documented numerous potential problems with the dump, including warnings from state geologists and engineers that the dump may leak radioactive material into groundwater. He’s also looked at the political influence the dump’s owner, Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons, has exerted in getting favorable treatment from the Texas Legislature and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In addition to this investigative work, Wilder has reported from Andrews about the community’s fascinating relationship with the hazardous and radioactive waste that few other towns want.